The present invention relates to a device for rapidly, and conveniently cultivating bean sprouts, More particularly, the present invention relates to a cultivating apparatus for bean sprouts, green bean sprouts, malts or the like, which is structured with at least one cultivating container, an automatic watering system, spaced-apart sieve plates, and a control unit whereby the various sprouts or malts can be automatically cultivated in a short time period.
Most cultivating devices for bean sprouts are well known which utilize a cultivating container including a plurality of holes disposed at the bottom thereof for periodically and frequently irrigating the bean sprouts. However, since the water cannot be automatically fed during a predetermined time period, the bean sprouts to be cultivated would be withered up or spoiled.
In order to try to eliminate the disadvantages mentioned above, recently conventional types of cultivating devices have been provided. For example, FIG. 5A shows a prior art cultivating device for bean sprouts which comprises a cultivating container 36, a water reservoir 34 disposed on the cultivating container 36 and a water tank 31 containing a water collecting bowl 32 connected to a small size hose 33. The water is dropped through the small size hose 33 from the water tank 32 into the water reservoir 34. When the water in the water reservoir 34 accumulates up to the level of the U-shaped tube 35, the U-shaped tube is submerged. The air in the U-shaped tube 35 is automatically removed from the tube by the pressure of the water, and then the water flows down through the U-shaped tube 35 from the water reservoir 34 into the cultivating container 36 until the water level in the water reservoir 34 falls below the level of the inlet of the U-shaped tube 35. Thus the water irrigates the bean sprouts in the cultivating container 36 and is then drained through a drain hose 37 into an additional tank 38. Thus, when the water in the water tank 31 is exhausted the water must be manually refilled. Furthermore, the outlet of the small size hose 33 connected to the water collecting bowl 32 tends to become clogged during the operation of the device.
Also, in FIG. 5B, a prior art cultivating device is shown which comprises a water collecting tank 41 located on a cultivating container 47, and a bubble generator 43. The water collecting tank 41 is supplied with water through a water-ascending hose 44 by the force of the bubbles generated by the bubble generator 43. When the water accumulates up to a predetermined level in the water collecting tank 41, a rubber stopper 46 connected to a floating member 45 is pulled up by the floating member and the water in the water collecting tank 41 falls through the aperture occupied by the stopper 46. Thus, the force of the water damages the bean sprouts to be cultivated.